Carlos Monasterios (3-0) allowed three runs and four hits in
six-plus innings, walked three and struck out none. The
24-year-old rookie is filling in capably for injured starter
Vicente Padilla, who has been on the DL because of a sore right
elbow since April 23.

"He's really stepped up for us and given us a big lift,"
pitching coach Rick Honeycutt said. "Each game he's been very
consistent. He gets irritated when he walks guys. He continues
to improve and goes right at you. That's his nature."

That includes St. Louis sluggers Albert Pujols and Matt
Holliday. Pujols was hitless in four at-bats, while Holliday was
hitless in three.

"He was able to locate his sinker away and did a good job
keeping us off-balance with his off-speed stuff," Cardinals
center fielder Randy Winn said. "He had such a big difference in
speed between the fastball and the off-speed stuff that it was
tough to lay back. And when you thought he might throw something
off-speed, he had enough on his fastball to sneak it by you."

Before this season, Monasterios had appeared in just two games
above the Single-A level. He pitched mostly out of the bullpen
in the minors last season.

"I feel more comfortable starting games," he said through a
translator.

Blake Hawksworth (0-3) gave up six runs and seven hits in four
innings, struck out five and walked three in his first major
league start after 48 career relief appearances.

"I'm better than that," he said. "It's just frustrating. I did
everything I could to make pitches."

DeWitt's three-run homer on a 3-2 pitch from P.J. Walters hit
the right field pole, extending the Dodgers' lead to 10-1.
Ronnie Belliard singled in the other run in the fifth.

"I was trying to force things the last couple weeks and that
always makes things hard on a hitter," DeWitt said. "When you're
relaxed, you're definitely seeing the ball better."

DeWitt's bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the seventh made it 11-4
before pinch-hitter Garret Anderson's RBI double brought in
another run.

Los Angeles scored four runs in the fourth to break the game
open. DeWitt and A.J. Ellis, starting for Russell Martin, had
RBI singles, while Rafael Furcal's ground-rule double bounced on
the warning track in right field, scoring two runs for a 6-1
lead.

"It was a just a rough night," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa
said. "They hit some soft balls that were hits, but they also
had some hard-hit balls where we turned some double plays."

The Dodgers opened the game with a pair of runs in the first.
Matt Kemp hit an RBI single and scored on a double-play grounder
by Manny Ramirez.

Ryan Ludwick homered twice for the Cardinals, his first coming
in the second and his other leading off the seventh. Kemp leaped
to snag the ball over the fence in center field, but it narrowly
missed his outstretched glove.

"I was behind in the count on both at-bats and when you're
behind you pay," Monasterios said.

NOTES: Cardinals 3B David Freese sat out his second straight
game because of a sprained right ankle and isn't expected to
return to the starting lineup until Friday. ... Cardinals CF
Colby Rasmus was out of the starting lineup because of tightness
in his left calf a day after he left early against Milwaukee.
... The Cardinals turned three double plays. ... St. Louis fell
to 7-1 on Mondays this season, losing on the first day of the
week for the first time since July 20, 2009, at Houston. ... The
teams played for the first time since Los Angeles swept St.
Louis in three games to win the NL division series last October.